Tailgate Tour reunites former Packers teammates

GREEN BAY -- The Packers 9th annual Tailgate Tour also provided a reunion for one of the team's most prolific offenses. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton, former quarterback Lynn Dickey and former tight end Paul Coffman were the alumni Packers on the tour.

"Those three players, they helped form one of the best offenses of that decade," said Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy.

The alumni were joined on the trip by Murphy and current Packers kicker Mason Crosby, cornerback Jarrett Bush and linebacker Brad Jones. The tour made its first surprise stop on Tuesday at an assembly at Oconto High School.

Lofton, Dickey and Coffman played together in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"Lot of different weapons, it was a lot of fun to play in those games," said Coffman.

While they were most eager to meet Packers fans and even see familiar faces around the region, the Packers alumni said they looked forward to the bus trips, as they'd get to know some current players and maybe tell them a little about their era of football.

"Not so much about, oh when I played, men were men and it was tougher, the field was uphill in each direction," said Lofton. "When I played it was pretty rare if you had a defensive back who could run 4.5 Now all of them run that fast. A couple linebackers run that fast. The athletes are bigger, faster, stronger. The game is probably better than it's ever been."

While Lofton, the Hall of Famer and current NFL radio broadcaster with Westwood One, sees an improving game, his former quarterback is confident their style of play would hold up.

"Put it this way, I'd go to training camp with anybody," said Dickey. "I'd put those teams, those offensive teams we had up against anybody."